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175 Comments
- BigManOnCampus, on 05/27/2008, -4/+42News Flash: Humans are already a part of the universe. Hence, the universe is already infested with humans.
More life is better than none, I say "contaminate" at will. - Orion1004, on 05/27/2008, -4/+36Great post! I'm on the "blessing" side of the migration equation: I have a hunch it's part of our evolutionary programming to move out among the stars -also suspect we might meet some rival alien tribes out there coming from another direction!
- pattyman5000, on 05/27/2008, -0/+31Yeah then we have weird alien sex with them like Kirk. I can't wait.
- sgiffy, on 05/27/2008, -2/+28I am all for preventing contamination while we study a place. Take Mars for example, it might have harbored life of its own, and we should be careful that we do not affect our ability to learn about the life. But once that's done, I think we should try and colonize as much as we can.
- inactive, on 05/27/2008, -6/+28That would be interesting. I wonder if human microbes would necessarily spawn the existence of human-like creatures somewhere else, though.
- phydeaux70, on 05/27/2008, -4/+25It seems supremely arrogant to me to think that we matter in the whole grand scheme of things. We don't understand enough of the universe to make an opinion on any of it. Intelligence is something that is based on what we humans have defined....we could be very primitive by other life form 'standards'.
Interesting debate though. - freezerburn666, on 05/27/2008, -1/+21if it does "contaminate" the universe, thats the way the universe works. thank god earth was contaminated.
- ender7074, on 05/27/2008, -1/+19Yes because we've ditched so many planets before? Camon....
- inactive, on 05/27/2008, -0/+16Even with planets like Mars, contaminate. Why?
If it has native microbes they'll be forced into competition with ours, and we'll get to see some neat Martian evolution. - nbx909, on 05/27/2008, -0/+11Well if we are contaminating while we look for microbes, I think we just failed there, we won't be able to tell if we found a related species or it's a species that mutated from what we've already got.
- mytealjacket, on 05/27/2008, -0/+11Probably not while we're still around, but it would increase the possibility of them eventually evolving a great deal.
One thing more important than spreading our germs around though, is terraforming other planets so our children have places to live if we destroy earth. - ifire, on 05/27/2008, -2/+13Okay, Agent Smith.
- Nougat, on 05/27/2008, -0/+10Everyone should read the Foundation series.
- Demitaka, on 05/27/2008, -0/+9Contaminate what ? The universe is has tons of radioactive and dangerous things in it. I would say its already pretty polluted.
- hmunkey, on 05/27/2008, -0/+9Doesn't infested mean swarming with or something along those lines? Because we're all stuck on one planet.
- djdole, on 05/27/2008, -0/+9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panspermia
- mnemy, on 05/27/2008, -0/+8I say spread the goodness. Well after the human race manages annihilate itself, life could prosper elsewhere in the galaxy if it isn't already. Hell, in a few billion years, maybe the galaxy will have the plethora of intelligent life like our sci fi fantasies dictate.
- mentallyinhell, on 05/27/2008, -11/+19Funny that if you think about it, we act exactly like a virus. We find a planet, use as many of it resources as we can to reproduce as fast as possible, and then we ditch it to find the next one. Except that planets aren't cells, or living, so I can't feel bad about it.
- fleischner, on 05/27/2008, -0/+8Don't worry -- we're careful. Read about the biobarrier here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/phoenix/images.php?fi ...
- Bith8654, on 05/27/2008, -1/+8In due time ender, in due time.
- inactive, on 05/27/2008, -0/+7Does a supernova ask permission before it sends clouds of radioactive metals into the interstellar medium.? No. So go forth, microbes, and multiply.
- Aidje, on 05/27/2008, -2/+9yeah, we've done that with a lot of planets, just hopping from one to the next.
- LongShlong, on 05/27/2008, -1/+8'Better' is a biased opinion.
When it comes to the Universe (ergo, science), things just 'are.' - JFitzpatrick, on 05/27/2008, -0/+7If operating under the silly assumption that in the entire universe Earth is the only planet hosting life forms, then why even bother asking the question? Who -cares- if we blanket every barren rock in our entire galaxy with our microbial footprints? There is no moral or ethical dilemma, we're not firing small pox laden rockets onto inhabited planets.
- InfinitySnatch, on 05/27/2008, -2/+9Only idiots stupid enough to have watched The Matrix and be floored by Smith's philosophy would actually believe that we count as a 'contamination'.
- calipan, on 05/27/2008, -1/+7Humans are just the natural evolutionary process to more complex organisms. We are an adaptation of life with the ability to spread across the universe with greater ease than more simpler, less complex organisms. Don't think that we are individuals with free will. Life wants to spread, once it has sufficiently outgrown the existing environment it will spread exponentially. First the moon and mars, then the outer plants, then the nearby star systems. But we might take some kind of evolutionary leap by that point take on a half organic, half machine or even leap the digital divide into virtual beings entirely. After all technology has trumped evolution in speed of adaptation in every possible way. I'll place my bets that we will evolve, adapt, merge, or even replace the human race with one that can more easily traverse interstellar distances.
- Topher06, on 05/27/2008, -0/+6Please, I have enough problems with Peta and Tree Huggers forcing me to live off of naturally expired moss and a hand crank flashlight to have to start worrying about planet huggers crying foul about flinigng our germs to Mars.
If God didn't want us to spread out thru the universe (or discover more about science and phsycis) he would have stopped at making chimpanzees on the 7th day. I don't think God made the universe and then told us "Don't go there" - Hetman, on 05/27/2008, -2/+8I think we should be spreading life anyway possible. If it is through microbes that is fine with me. I say blanket the universe with them. It can only help spread life and that cannot be a bad thing.
- jake86, on 05/27/2008, -0/+6Go play spore.
- Morky, on 05/27/2008, -0/+6The universe is nothing if we are not here to observe it.
- HarryTruman, on 05/27/2008, -1/+7Obviously not tool bags like you. Did you vote for Bush as well...?
- darkfus, on 05/27/2008, -0/+6I prefer to think the universe "contaminated" earth (if you could call it that), so its all fair game.
- Gerz1219, on 05/27/2008, -2/+8What was that the article said about nihilistic losers?
- flipside3, on 05/27/2008, -0/+6I've often pondered this. Should our goal be to study the planets of our solar system in as untouched state as possible? In hopes of learning without our fingerprints getting in the way. Or should we be seeding everything that orbits our sun with as much life as possible to see what sticks and thrives.
I'm leaning towards the latter these days... which is good since I'm sure a hardy terran microbe or two is on Mars right now. - jake86, on 05/27/2008, -1/+6The odds of that are Astronomical.
- inactive, on 05/27/2008, -1/+6Interesting thought experiment - image some billionaire on a tropical island, has significant resources - he buys a discarded russian missile, fills a massive cylinder with balls linked with parachutes in carefully automated mini-missiles. He then fires the missile, sends the payload on a trajectory to mars, where it arrives 3 years later. UN and many countries and the pope whine and protest, to no avail, what's done is done. The missile then proceeds to insert into a wide orbit, and drops the parachuted balls in a decaying orbit - each object linked with an assortment of deepfrozen algae, bacteria, micro organisms, millions of them. A month later a rain of life descends on mars and starts, very slowly, taking root almost immediately. a few years years later the telescopes see mars have a distinct green hue around the equator.
Is this billionaire a criminal or a saint? If I could do this I would. You'd imprint your power on millions if not billion years of history, irreversible. That is an enviable legacy. - staffa, on 05/27/2008, -0/+5What is a human microbe?
Is that like a microscopic human?
Or do you just mean microscopic life that comes from earth and predates us by billions of years? It would probably look an awful lot like microscopic life for the first hundred million or so years and then who knows, but like us, no. Like Earth with all its different varieties and differences then maybe. - Doofy, on 05/27/2008, -0/+5it appears to have been nothing before the big bang.
- pbryan, on 05/27/2008, -0/+5Is there a real controversy here? Worrying about contaminating another planet seems on par with worrying about how early American explorers forged paths through the country. Yes, we impact our surroundings; to muse about some kind of quasi-eco "biological footprint" in our extraterrestrial exploration at this stage borders on conceited.
- topace3000, on 05/27/2008, -0/+5Humans are the biggest thing happening in our corner of the galaxy until we find something else.
- hmunkey, on 05/27/2008, -0/+5This article isn't about pollution. Oh, and of course she is better than pollution, but that means we can't discuss resolving her "problem."
- Hetman, on 05/27/2008, -0/+5Can someone give me a good reason why you would not want to spread life through out the universe?
- leerayIG88, on 05/27/2008, -2/+7We could use the Black Holes as a universal dump site. I think that's safe and eco friendly.
- marcusbrutus, on 05/27/2008, -0/+5In a million years, I'm sure we can eradicate them if we don't like them.
- inactive, on 05/27/2008, -1/+6I found the solution to all of these anti-human stories.
We all need to kill ourselves for the good of the environment. In an eco-friendly grave, of course. - Carl306, on 05/27/2008, -2/+7"If we can do it with a tank of fuel and a jar of goo and He doesn't stop us, then we're fairly sure He doesn't mind."
Owned - HarryTruman, on 05/27/2008, -1/+6It's all fun and games until our "children" rear their ugly heads in a million years and destroy us. That or they'd be beautiful sirens and make us sex slaves. Maybe both at the same time.
- humperdeath, on 05/27/2008, -0/+5For better or worse, we cannot possibly "Contaminate" the universe, there simply isn't enough matter in all of the earth to spread out to any noticeable degree. (sad, but oh so true)
- inactive, on 05/27/2008, -1/+5Yeah but virus don't wonder if they should invade a new host or not, they just do, it's a matter of survival.
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